Catch a Falling Star
by hunnyfresh
Summary: Lainey Allen (a former Soap Opera actress) retreats to an ocean side beach house after 20 years on The Valley. This story explores her relationship with Eva Morales, her publicist, and how they learn to cope and handle Lainey's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. This story is woven together within three timelines (2006, 2016, and 2017).
1. Chapter 1

**I found the Otalia fandom recently, and I wanted to share with my followers how great this on-screen pairing is. They're so good that the 2 actresses have been canonically paired 4 times: from a soap opera, a web series, a short movie, to an indie film. _1 Million Happy Nows_ was just released this week, and my wife and her good friend who love Otalia, loved this movie. While it's been several years since I've posted, I wanted share this story and the fandom with you all - it is literally everything you wanted with SQ. I definitely recommend you watch _1 Million Happy Nows, Venice The Series, The Grove,_ and definitely watch _Guiding Light (search for: Otalia 2008 and Otalia 2009 - on YouTube)._ There's over 100 episodes of character building - and it all starts with two women who hate each other. Tell me that's not every SQ fic you've read!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Meadowlark Assisted Living 2017**

Eva had been dreading this day since she found out about Lainey's early onset Alzheimer's. Through some naivety she thought that maybe, just maybe, medicine would advance in a year's time and Lainey's mind wouldn't disappear before their very eyes. But it did. And they were here. Meadowlark Assisted Living. They had already gotten a tour of the facilities when they were scoping out future homes for Lainey, but as she heaved boxes into the room and took a look around, it was finally real and the day she'd been dreading had finally caught up to them, and the nightmare she hoped and prayed she'd wake up from was suddenly her reality.

Lainey sat on the bed, hands patted down on the mattress as if testing its softness. She looked around the room with wide eyes before locking them with Eva's. The brunette swallowed back the lump in her throat and put on her bravest smile. She crossed the room to Lainey and crouched down in front of her.

"How do you like it?"

Lainey nodded with a hesitant smile.

"Do you want to help me unpack? You can choose where everything goes so you know where to find it."

"Okay," Lainey whispered. Along with Lainey's mind, her language had been going too, so on the the rare occurrence Eva could hear her voice, she grasped on to it.

Squeezing Lainey's hands, she brought them up to her lips for a kiss. "Let's go."

They unpacked in relative silence, though Eva couldn't help but check in on Lainey nearly every minute. Her clothes were unpacked, placed in the dresser and closet. Decorations were placed around the room.

She had just broken down a box when she caught Lainey staring at her Emmy.

"Remember that?" Eva asked.

"It's good," Lainey offered. "Mine."

"Yeah," she grinned. "You won it."

Lainey's attention turned to Eva. The way her green eyes softened, Eva swore she saw the spark of life that was so Lainey returned to her. Lainey smiled to herself and nodded, placing the award on the dresser.

The unpacking took less time than she anticipated. She sliced open the final box and was met with frames and pictures of themselves and their friends. There was Val, her arms wrapped around Lainey as they were both keeling over in laughter, and there was even one of the cast from _The Valley_ on Lainey's last day. But the majority of the pictures were of herself and Lainey. Eva had stuffed the box with nearly every picture she could as if the shear image of her face would make Lainey remember, Slowly, as if the frames were made of the finest China, she pulled them from the box and removed the bubble wrap. Eva wanted to make this moment last as long as she could; the mere thought of returning to their empty beach house sent her stomach plummeting. Her eyes watered. What if something happened to Lainey, and she wasn't there? Or what if Lainey was having a good day and remembered, and Eva missed it?

A familiar hand squeezed her shoulder. She turned to see Lainey looking over her shoulder at the near empty box.

"That's us."

Eva turned to look where Lainey was pointing. She didn't know how Lainey could tell what picture it was through the bubble wrap, but she could see the green and red of their dresses when they posed on the red carpet. Eva grinned, her heart fluttering at Lainey's recollection.

"Yeah, baby." She reached into the box and revealed the picture. "It's us."

Lainey didn't say much. She rarely did anymore. Eva took these moments to read into her body language, and the next thing Lainey did made her heart hopeful. Lainey took the silver frame and stared curiously at the photograph. Without saying another word, she walked over to her bedside table and placed the picture down on top of it.

* * *

 **The Beach House 2016**

"I absolutely love this photo!" Lainey beamed, picking up the framed photograph of them at the Emmys. She frowned and gently stroked the glass carefully. "The glass is cracked."

Eva popped her head in from the kitchen, and walked over to be at Lainey's side, her head resting on her shoulder. "Didn't I tell you to be careful with that box?"

Their move had come right after Lainey left her job. After 20 years on _The Valley_ , she'd called it quits and moved up the coast with Eva to escape. It had taken Eva a while to convince Lainey to make the move, and she hoped it would be good for them. Lord knew Lainey needed the break from stress.

"I was!" Lainey argued, poking Eva in the side and earning herself a giggle.

Eva struggled against Lainey's grasp and shook her head. "I heard it drop when you were loading it into the van!"

"Here." Lainey rifled through the box and picked out a silver frame with her headshot in it. "We can use this one."

"That's my favourite picture of you," Eva argued with her hands on her hips.

"But this is my favourite picture of us." She removed the picture from the broken frame and replaced it in the new one. She held it up and pointed to Eva's dimpled grin. "Can you believe I get to call that woman mine?"

Eva took the picture and inspected it before she playfully rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I wish I still had that waistline."

"Stop!" Lainey plucked the frame from her grasp and placed it in the center of the mantle. She returned to Eva and slid her arms around her waist, letting her forehead rest against hers.

Eva breathed her in and settled comfortably in the embrace. She shivered when Lainey's lips ventured to her ear, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood when Lainey whispered. "Don't be crazy," Lainey said. "You're beautiful."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm." Her lips travelled down Eva's neck. "And so sexy."

Eva sighed into her touch. "Are you trying to distract me to get out of unpacking?"

"Absolutely."

Eva giggled into her neck, but didn't stop Lainey and her typical antics.

"Is it working?"

"Most definitely." Eva pulled Lainey in for a kiss. Their packing left forgotten in favor of the couch below them.

* * *

 **The After Party 2006**

"You are _not_ taking on Lainey Allen. She is an absolute diva."

Eva sipped her champagne daintily as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. The party was a huge networking event for most, but Eva was only attending for one reason: Lainey Allen.

She ignored the man's chatter as he bashed her latest client. He was a good friend, though a bit of a gossip, and he sure made these events lively. Truth be told, she had already heard about Lainey's latest diva tantrum; hence, the soap star looking for a new publicist. Despite the overbearing and overwhelming personality Lainey gave off from a mile away, Eva wanted to sink her teeth into the chance to handle the celebrity. First thing tomorrow, she'd officially be Lainey's publicist.

"Of course she's a diva," she argued. "She's the highest paid most successful female soap actress."

"She'll eat you alive, darling."

Eva's eyes finally stopped scanning as she found her subject. There Lainey was, her dress nearly painted on her body and her hair styled elegantly in curls. Lainey Allen wasn't the type to hang off of anyone's arm, so it wasn't a surprise that her longtime on- and off-screen boyfriend, Jason, was standing beside her. From across the room, Eva could see the laugh lines crease on the woman's face. That alone seemed to lighten up the room. No wonder America was so in love with her. She was gorgeous.

She finished off her champagne and turned back towards her friend who continued to gossip in her ear. She didn't realize that Lainey herself had been watching her just as intently later on that night.

* * *

 **On Set of** _ **The Valley**_ **2006**

Eva was used to dealing with big celebrities with even bigger personalities. Many people never took her seriously. Her short stature and baby face made her look like a sweet kitty. Come negotiation time, Eva was all teeth and claws. She'd handled all levels of stardom before from the up and comers to the burn outs to the A-listers. Walking towards Lainey's dressing room on the set of _The Valley_ , Eva never felt more nervous. It was just Lainey. Just like any other person she worked with. She wasn't sure if she was more nervous about Lainey's reputation or the woman herself. Straightening out her blazer with a leather portfolio in her arm and her cell phone nestled on top of it, she knocked on the door with Lainey Allen emblazoned in the center of a star.

"What is it?"

Eva took that as her cue to enter. She pushed open the door and with a firm smile already on her face. "Hi, Lainey, I'm Eva."

She held out a hand, but Lainey was slow to take it. Instead, she just stared at Eva with squinted eyes before she slowly shook her hand. _She's just a personality,_ Eva reminded herself. _She's trying to be the alpha._

Giving her hand a firm squeeze, Eva walked around the dressing room and opened her portfolio. "I already took the liberty of setting up some interviews for the next few weeks. Associated Press wants to talk to you, and there's a photoshoot for Soap Opera Digest."

She was about to continue when she realized that Lainey hadn't said a word or barely acknowledged her. She might as well have been talking to an empty room.

"How does that sound to you?" The glazed look on Lainey's face said it all. The diva wasn't listening. She may have been staring at her, but her words were in one ear and out the other. Eva frowned. "Lainey!"

Lainey shook her head. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Did you hear anything I said?"

"I did, yes. I just一" the actress turned away from her and laughed to herself. "I'm sorry. You're just so一"

"So what?" Eva questioned. Fiery. Detail-oriented. Stubborn, she had gotten a time or two.

" _Beautiful._ "

Eva stopped.

"You are _so_ beautiful," Lainey repeated.

It was Eva's turn to laugh to herself, her hair falling over her face that she had to tuck back a strand. She blushed, but she couldn't contain the dimpled grin that formed on her face. She was not expecting that.

"Wow," Lainey breathed out, a finger to her lips in thought.

"What now?"

"I didn't think you could get more beautiful, but you just did."

* * *

More to come!


	2. Chapter 2

**Meadowlark Assisted Living 2017**

"How's she been?"

Eva took a deep breath as she signed herself into the visitor's booklet. She slid the pen and booklet over to Val and waited for her to do the same. Val's friendship with Lainey spanned over twenty years. With Val the director to many of Lainey's roles, most recently being _The Valley,_ they had seen each other flourish both in their careers and their personal life. There was a time when Lainey joked that she could never just work with someone if she truly loved them, what with Val being her best friend and Eva turning from her publicist to her lover.

Eva sighed. Those days were in the past, but she hoped they weren't gone forever. "Okay, I guess. As good as she gets."

"You don't sound so sure." Val slid the book back to the receptionist and clipped her visitor's badge onto her breast pocket.

"I'm not," she admitted as she lead the way through the hallways towards Lainey's room. A nurse met with them before they continued on their way. "She has good days and bad days. Sometimes I can spend nearly the whole day with her, and others, I'm barely here for ten minutes before the excitement is too much for her."

"Hey," Val said squeezing her shoulder. "I know it's hard, but deep down inside, Lainey loves you with every fibre of her being."

Eva nodded as they approached a door. "I know."

The nurse knocked and waited. Some days it took a while for Lainey to acknowledge there was anyone at the door, but more often than not, the nurse would lead her in and she'd find Lainey painting, napping on her bed, and even sitting in her chair looking fondly out the window.

Today, Lainey was in that chair. Her skin was more pale and she looked thin. She barely turned when all three of them entered the room. The nurse left them alone, and Eva walked to the corner and crouched in front of Lainey.

"Hi, baby." She squeezed Lainey's knees hopefully. Lainey's glassy eyes stared through her. Eva had been here enough to learn Lainey's body language. She was quiet and more reserved than normal, and her foggy eyes signaled a fright of confusion. Eva turned her head to Val and frowned. "I don't know how long we can stay."

"Hi."

Eva whipped her head at Lainey's voice and grinned. "Hi, baby!"

But Lainey wasn't looking at Eva. She was staring at Val, and the glassy haze over her eyes twinkled with a hint of recollection.

Val shuffled from foot to foot before shooting an apologetic glance to Eva. She discarded her purse on the dresser and kneeled next to Eva. "Hi, Lainey. You feeling okay today?"

"Okay," Lainey repeated.

"That's good!" Val grinned. "Do you remember who I am?"

Lainey scrunched up her face as she struggled to find the word. "F-friend."

"Yeah," Val cheered. "We are friends." She motioned her head to Eva. "What about this beauty here? Do you know who she is?"

Eva held her breath.

Lainey's sharp green eyes zeroed in on Eva. She waited for her to say of course, that she was kidding. How could she forget Eva? But no answer came out of Lainey's mouth, and she turned back to Val and repeated, "friend."

Val nodded and gently patted Lainey's knee.

* * *

 **The Beach House 2016**

"Do you think that people still think that we're friends?" Eva asked as they laid in the hammock in the backyard. They were sprawled opposite each other with Eva massaging Lainey's calf.

Lainey picked her head up and raised her eyebrow. "Are we not friends?"

Eva laughed. "I mean they don't realize that we're together, you know? Like a single unit."

"Ohh. You mean how much you like- _like_ me."

She playfully smacked Lainey's leg. "Even at the diner the other day, I think the waitress was looking at us like we're best friends."

Lainey sat up completely now. "Seriously? Did she not see the way that I look at you?"

"I know! You were never subtle about liking me," Eva answered with a smug shrug of her shoulder.

"Uh, _you_ were about as subtle as a rock." She playfully poked at Eva's side with her toe, finding her ticklish spot.

"Stop!" Eva laughed, nearly rolling out of the hammock. She escaped and stood with a huff, but Lainey was too quick to drag her bag down. Any reservations were quickly silenced by Lainey's lips against her own.

"Still want me to stop?" Lainey asked.

"Mm-mmm." Eva shook her head, her eyes shut and leaned in for another kiss.

When they pulled apart, Lainey tucked Eva's hair behind her ear and said, "that just means one thing then."

"What?"

"I need to be more affectionate with you in public. If people don't see how I feel about you and don't realize how lucky I am to have such a beautiful, smart, and funny woman like you, then I must be doing something wrong."

Eva pondered momentarily with a playful finger to her lips. "Well you could start by showing some affection here."

"Oh yeah?" Lainey quirked an eyebrow and kissed her lips briefly.

"Mmhmm. But you're going to have to do better than that."

Eva giggled when Lainey wasted no time in pulling her back in for a deeper kiss. Her eyes shut reveling in the way Lainey's lips moved so sensually against her own. Hands wandered under clothes, and despite being out in the open, neither were stopping their actions to move inside. Eva gasped when Lainey's fingers toyed with the waistband of her jeans.

"Let's take this inside," Eva breathed against Lainey's lips.

"Or…" With a devilish smile, Lainey's fingers unbuttoned the clasp and deftly moved her zipper down, her hand disappearing down Eva's jeans.

Eva gasped and was too weak to pull away. Just as she dove back in for another heated kiss, her cell phone started to ring.

"Don't answer it," Lainey demanded, her fingers more enticing than ever.

"It's Val, she groaned as she shimmied her phone from her pocket. "She's been wanting to come over for a while and-"

Lainey grabbed the phone from Eva's hand and answered. "Call us back. I'm about to get lucky." With that, she tossed the phone into the bushes and grinned innocently at Eva. "So where were we?"

"If my phone is broken-"

"I'll buy you a new one," Lainey promised resuming her earlier actions earning herself a moan.

* * *

 **On Set of The Valley 2006**

"I didn't realize it was in your job description to help me run lines," Lainey said with a wry grin.

"Of course it is!" Eva sat down across from the actress on the couch and pulled towards her a copy of the new script. "Your image is my job. If you mess up a scene and it gets out, then I'm the one who has to deal with the repercussions of making you look good again. I'm doing you a favour really."

Lainey laughed and flipped open to a page she had heavily marked. Eva could see notes to herself and acting directions. Lainey really took her role seriously, and Eva admired that.

"Have you ever acted before?"

"How hard can it be to play a man that's in love with you?" She flipped open her own script and read over Jason's lines in her head. It was the scene where the off-screen couple were finally going to be an on-screen pair. Truth be told, Eva had never acted a lick in her life. So when she deepened her voice and looked lovingly into Lainey's eyes, the actress burst into a fit of laughter, even before the first lines were out.

"What?" Eva straightened. "That's what he sounds like!"

"He does not sound like the Terminator." She leaned over and placed her hand on Eva's thigh. "Just relax. You don't need to pretend you're him."

"How else can I do the scene if I'm not channeling him?"

"Believe me, you aren't," Lainey teased. Her green eyes twinkled in laughter. "I am an actress, sweetie. It's my job to pretend. I mean, besides, the people around me they're just someone else too."

Eva shook her body, doing her best to relax.

"Just read the lines how you would read them and I'll work off that."

Eva nodded as Lainey put away her script. She looked down at the words on the page and exhaled deeply before speaking. " _Vivian. You have no idea how long I've felt this way._ "

Lainey, now transformed as Vivian, had a different air about her when she assumed the role of her Valley counterpart. Eyes squinted with dominance exuding from her very core, the essence that was Vivian was more what the rumours of what Lainey was supposed to be like. Lainey was sweet and genuine and funny, while the Vivian before her was distant, powerful, and so damn enticing.

Lainey's red lips parted. " _How long, Jason?_ "

" _Too long. I can barely go a minute without you making your way into my mind_ ," Eva recited. " _How do you do it?_ "

Lainey laughed softly, her fingers trailing up Eva's bare knee towards the hem of her skirt. " _The same way you do it for me. I feel the exact same way._ "

" _You do?_ " Eva whispered. Even though it was the line on the page, it felt like it had come from the woman herself. Lainey was looking at her like she was ready to devour her, and Eva couldn't help but want the same.

" _I do,_ " Lainey whispered just as softly.

Eva reached out, her fingertips grazing the side of Lainey's face. The actress' eyes shut and she leaned into Eva's touch. Eva's fingers moved to the tip of her chin and tugged her face just a little bit closer. " _I've been waiting to hear you say that forever._ "

Lainey's breath shuddered against her fingers. "This is the part where Jason kisses Vivian."

"Then Jason should kiss Vivian."

Eva's lips quirked into a smile. She wasn't sure if it was the moment or maybe she really had found her calling in acting, but it was way too easy to be this free with Lainey. She bit her lip. Lainey couldn't have really meant it. But there she was, lips parted and eyes closed, waiting. Wanting.

Eva's eyes slid shut just the same as she leaned in closer. They were just acting. Just acting. It wouldn't mean anything. She could feel Lainey's breath against her lips making her heart pound frantically. They were inches away, Eva's hand still on Lainey's chin, and Lainey's fingers grazing just underneath her skirt.

Suddenly the door swung open, and they shot apart.

"Where have you been, Lainey?" Val asked storming into the dressing room. "We've been paging you for ten minutes. We're ready to shoot."

Eva straightened her skirt and stood up, pink tinting her tanned cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hold you up. I'll email about…. That thing we were just discussing, Lainey."

She rushed out of the dressing room, face completely flushed and her heart racing a mile a minute. She was supposed to be helping her with her lines, not doing... _that._ She ran a hand through her hair and snuck a final glance at the open dressing room.

"What'd I interrupt? An important meeting?" Val asked.

Lainey shook her head, her own face heated. "Nothing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Meadowlark Assisted Living 2017**

Lainey giggled to herself as she sat cuddled on the bed with Eva. Eva was grateful that today was a good day - a very good day. Not only had she found Lainey in a pleasant mood, but the actress was having a better recall than the last visit. She had graduated from being a stranger to at least a friend. Regardless, it didn't matter if Lainey never remembered her; she'd have her in any capacity. Eva spent most of the day with her, painting and walking outside. After lunch, Eva wasn't quite ready to go home, so she pulled out a laptop and popped in a season of _The Valley._

In the past, whenever they watched old reruns of _The Valley_ , Lainey would either love or hate her performance. She'd chuck popcorn at the screen and groan at the awkward deliverance of a line or cringe at whatever outfit the wardrobe people decided to put her in that day. Other times, she'd hush everyone in the room and make sure they watched as her fierce and dominating persona completely stole the scene.

If Eva had to guess, the latter was what Lainey was feeling right now as on-screen Vivian glared daggers at her nemesis. She laughed and settled comfortably with Lainey wrapped under her arm. She hadn't felt this kind of warmth since Lainey was admitted. It felt almost normal, like they were back at their beach house snuggled in PJs on the couch together.

"Look," Lainey encouraged, pointing at Vivian. "She's good."

Just then, Vivian slapped her nemesis as the camera zoomed in ominously on her determined face.

Eva nodded and agreed, "yeah, that was your favorite part, wasn't it?"

Lainey lifted her head, a proud smile on her face. Slowly her fingers came up and trailed down the side of Eva's face. Her eyes drifted shut at the contact but she opened them when Lainey tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Eva's eyes watered at the gesture, knowing full well what it meant. Eva leaned into her touch and sighed.

"You were so good in that, baby," Eva whispered. She kissed Lainey's fingertips before getting up from the bed and heading towards the dresser. Within a moment, the Emmy Lainey had won was in her hand, and she returned to hold it up to her. "That scene won you this."

Lainey nodded again. For once, green eyes weren't glossed over in a haze. Eva ducked her head to see them brighten and watched as Lainey's nose wrinkled softly and her lips quirk into the smallest smile. Pride was the only thing that came to Eva's mind as she watched the gears in Lainey's brain shift in recollection. Suddenly Lainey reached over and held Eva's hand, giving her a comforting squeeze.

Eva squeezed back and asked, "you remember that day, don't you?"

"Yes," Lainey answered softly, her eyes shifting from the award to Eva.

Eva grinned her dimpled smile and sat up excitedly. "What do you remember?"

Lainey returned the look and squeezed her hand once more. " _You_."

* * *

 **The Beach House 2016**

"Come on, come on, come on!" Eva called as she rushed into the living room, a bowl of popcorn balanced in her arm. "It's starting!"

"I'm coming already," Lainey answered as she sauntered in with two wine glasses between her fingers and a bottle of red. "It's not like they're going to do Best Leading Actress until the end."

"But you're nominated again!" Eva beamed as she leaped onto the couch. Popcorn spilled in between the seats as she waited impatiently for Lainey to sit beside her. "You really sure you're okay we didn't go? It is your last one."

"Believe me." Lainey put down the glasses and bottle on the table and sat down next to Eva. She tilted her chin towards her and smiled. "You've seen me at those red carpet events. I don't need to be stressed about trying to remember what dress I'm wearing or who did my hair. I'd much rather be in PJs, in our home, on our couch, with you."

She kissed her briefly before turning to pour the wine.

"Valid," Eva agreed. "Do you know how many times I had to go to the media to tell them what dress you were _actually_ wearing?"

Lainey laughed. "Maybe I was just screwing with you."

She rolled her eyes and set the popcorn bowl on the table. "Where's the remote?"

Lainey popped a kernel in her mouth and shrugged. "It's on the table."

"It's not." Eva moved the glasses and magazines sitting there but no luck. "You were watching something this afternoon. Where'd you put it?"

"Exactly where it should go."

"Which is where?" Eva quirked an eyebrow.

Lainey gulped her wine as she motioned towards the room with her hand. "Somewhere."

" _Somewhere."_ Eva huffed and stood up. She dug in between the couch cushions. "Come on, Lainey. I told you to put things back where you found them."

"I do!"

Eva glared as her hand came away with car keys, holding them up accusingly. "What do you have to say about these?"

Lainey flushed and finished off her wine in another gulp. "That's _my_ spot for them. So I know that's where they are."

"Uh huh." She tossed the keys on the table and continued to search. "Seriously, babe, you've been forgetting a lot of things lately."

"I have never forgotten our anniversary or your birthday," Lainey argued. She stood up to look.

"You've been misplacing things all over the house, and don't forget that the reason that we're here is because you kept forgetting your lines on-set."

Lainey laughed and shrugged it off. "That's old age, sweetie. Me leaving _The Valley_ has nothing to do with why we can't find the remote."

Eva huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Are you even taking me seriously right now? I'm honestly concerned."

"Why? Because the remote is probably under the couch?"

"No! Because it's like you're not always there sometimes."

Lainey scoffed and sat back down on the couch hard. She poured herself another glass of wine and held it to her lips. Instead of drinking it, she sighed and patted the couch beside her. "Come here."

"What?" Eva asked. She sat down and gripped Lainey's hand with a squeeze.

"I don't want you to feel so concerned. I'm honestly fine." Placing the glass down and pushing her hair aside, she said, "if I go to the doctor and you see I'm okay, will that help? It's probably just me getting used to having so much free time on my hands now."

Eva nodded and pulled Lainey's hands up to her lips for a kiss. "Yes, thank you."

"Anything to put your mind at ease." She pressed a kiss to her forehead and leaned back on the couch. She motioned to the black screen of the TV and asked, "can't you just turn it on from the buttons on the TV?"

Eva squinted at the flatscreen. "Does that thing even have buttons?"

Lainey stood and hunched her back, putting on a raspy voice. "When I was your age, these picture boxes had turn dials, antennas, and all of _three_ channels!"

She laughed as they both went to inspect the flatscreen. Their fingers roamed around the edges in confusion.

"Seriously, how does this work?" Eva asked.

Lainey pointed to the label markings on the TV. Her finger roamed over the power sign. "Is this like a sensor or something?"

The TV suddenly blared before them, and they both jumped as it came to life.

* * *

 **Day of the Emmys 2006**

"No, Jason. I don't want to do that!" Lainey hissed into her phone causing her hair and makeup team to shift around her as they frantically tried to keep the stray hairs in place and prevent her from smearing her lipstick. "Well maybe I don't want you as my date!"

She angrily ended the call on her phone and tossed it to the couch. Her glam team were right to ignore it and continued on in their jobs, but Eva's eyes widened as she stepped in front of the actress. "Trouble in paradise."

"Don't," Lainey warned. "I'm really not in the mood."

"Okay," Eva acknowledged. The glam team finished their work and left leaving the publicist and the actress alone. "I don't want you to remember this day as one where you got into a fight with your boyfriend. Lainey Allen has gotten nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Soap Opera, and you're a shoe in to win."

"You'll jinx it."

"I'm willing to bet my life on it," Eva said with a wry grin. She held out a paper. "Now let's go over your acceptance speech. It should be laced with just enough personal touch."

They spent a few minutes going over her speech before Lainey's phone rang again. Eva handed it to her, seeing her boyfriend's name on it at the same time Lainey did. The actress rolled her eyes and declined the call. Eva didn't say a word and began to pack up.

"Hey," Lainey called. Eva turned. "Want to go to the Emmys with me tonight?"

Eva's eyes widened, but she was careful to hold back her excitement at Lainey's implication. Ever since that day in her dressing room where she helped her run lines, she thought things may have shifted.

She cleared her head with a shake and said, "it's kind of my job to be there, Lainey."

"No." Lainey reached out and held her arm. "I don't want you there as my publicist."

This time, Eva's mouth parted in shock. Green eyes held her captive as Lainey's question seemed to ring loudly in her brain. She swallowed a lump in her throat despite her racing heart and everything telling her just to say yes.

The phone rang again, and as quick as her excitement came, it dropped like a dead weight. It was Jason.

That thought brought her back to reality, and Eva shook her head. She loosened from Lainey's grasp and headed towards the door. "I shouldn't-"

Lainey sighed and picked up the ringing phone. Her eyes remained locked on Eva's as she spoke. "Look, Jason. If it wasn't clear the first time, our relationship is strictly professional now. I'm tired of fighting with you all the time. It's over between us. So seriously stop calling, it's starting to become pathetic."

With that, she hung up and dropped the phone to the couch once more. Her eyebrow quirked questioningly though there was an a playful tug on her lips. "Does that help you solve whatever it is that's running around your brain?"

Eva stammered as she ran a hand through her hair. "You're really going to ask that a second after breaking up with your boyfriend?"

"Are you saying that you don't feel whatever it is between us?" Lainey asked taking a step towards her. "Because I'm pretty sure that this chemistry could light up an entire room."

Eva couldn't help but grin at that. It was true, and Eva was grateful she wasn't the only one feeling it. She set steely eyes on Lainey and met her with a step forward. "I'll go with you to the Emmys but not as your date. As your friend."

"That I can accept," Lainey said with a nod.

Eva grinned. After all these months working together, she knew the effect her smile had on the actress. With an unspoken agreement, she nodded and pulled the door to her room open. Just before she left, she turned back. "For the record, Lainey, that's not how you ask a girl out."

"Are you going to teach me how?"

She grinned. "Absolutely."

She was about to shut the door when Lainey's voice had her turning back. "For the record, Eva, all I want is _you_. In whatever capacity that is."

Eva was paralyzed standing in the entrance of the doorway. She waited with bated breath as Lainey took slow and careful steps towards her and gently tucked back a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her eyes nearly slid shut at the contact.

"I just want you to know that whenever one of us does that, it's not us acting or pretending. We mean it." Her hand trailed down to Eva's and squeezed it. " _I_ mean it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Meadowlark Assisted Living 2017**

Eva stretched and reveled in the feeling of Lainey asleep on top of her. Sleepovers were strictly against the rules in Meadowlark, but she and Lainey had fallen asleep watching reruns on her laptop just after lunch. Eva knew she was breaking the rules, but when the nurse came in to check up on them, the pleading look on Eva's face was enough for the nurse to turn a blind eye.

She was grateful for the chance to wake up wrapped up in Lainey's arms again. A smile of contentment fluttered on her face as her fingers stroked Lainey's hair. She kissed her forehead gently rousing the woman. "We have to get up, Lainey."

Slowly Lainey began to stir. She groaned into Eva's chest and picked up her head. Her eyes were squinted as she took in the room. A bit of drool was dried on Lainey's lips, and Eva wanted to laugh. It was like waking up at home.

But her stomach dropped as she noticed Lainey pull away more quickly than she anticipated and saw the way green eyes shifted around the room in fear.

"No, Lainey, it's okay," Eva rushed to explain.

Lainey shook her head and pushed away from Eva, nearly knocking her off the bed. "Who are you?!"

Eva straightened and held her hands out cautiously. "Sweetheart, it's me. It's Eva." Her voice croaked as Lainey continued to shake her head. "Don't you remember me?"

"Get out. Get out of here. Get out!" Lainey yelled so loudly Eva jumped.

"Lainey…"

"Leave!" Lainey took a hurried step forward, her arms outstretched like she was going to push Eva out if she had to, but her foot caught on the bed and she stumbled forward.

Eva rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. "Baby, it's okay. It's okay. _I've got you_."

Lainey was having none of it. She pushed Eva away so fiercely, the woman nearly fell backwards. Lainey reached for a pillow and threw it then reached for her tin can of paint brushes and hurled it at the wall. The door burst open and two nurses rushed in, making a beeline for the distressed woman.

Tears streamed down her face as she watched them hold her arms down and prevent her from throwing anything else. The nurses didn't take into account all the morning runs and yoga that Lainey did nearly everyday for the past twenty years because she was able to push one off and began storming towards the center of the room. The nurse rushed and pushed Eva out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

Eva sobbed as a loud thud knocked against the door from inside Lainey's room. It wasn't a good day. It had started off as a good day, but somewhere between watching reruns and napping, the good day had gotten so, so bad. She should have known when the nurse mentioned that Lainey might not be up for visitors today, but Eva was always known to be a bit stubborn. She wanted to see Lainey, however she was.

The actress hadn't remembered her. Eva was used to the foggy look in Lainey's eyes as her memory clouded in a permanent swirl, but this time, green eyes were lighting with anger. Anger at her. Anger at the world. She choked back a sob and let her back fall against the closed door. She slid down and hugged her knees to her chest.

It never got easier.

* * *

 **The Beach House 2016**

Eva was numb. That was the only word she could use to describe how she felt. She didn't understand why Lainey wasn't more upset by this; she didn't get how she could pretend this wasn't happening. But it was. It was happening in front of them, and Eva was too stupid to notice. She saw the signs of early onset Alzheimer's, and although she never had a name for it, she knew they were there. The memory loss and the mood swings - it was all there.

She sat on the bed, hands shaking as she tried to read the pamphlet in her hands. Her tears were clouding her vision too much that the words just weren't forming. Blinking them away, she opened the pamphlet and began reading the symptoms and what to expect in the coming years. _Language and vision problems, changes in personality and behavior, prone to infection and disease that can lead to -_ Eva gasped and dropped the pamphlet on the ground.

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening to them. Lainey was young. She was so young. They just started their life together. It wasn't fair!

A sob ripped from her throat as she screamed out in frustration.

They _just_ started their forever at the beach house. They were supposed to grow old here. She ripped the sheets from the bed and threw one of the pillows against the wall, rattling the wall sconce beside the bed. She reached for the jewelry bowl on their nightstand and chucked it, the glass breaking, tossing earrings and necklaces around the room.

Another scream pierced the air as she cried, imagining Lainey in a hospital room, not remembering who she was, or who they were, or what they meant to each other. Her knees trembled and gave way. She crashed to the floor in a mess of sheets and glass as the tears continued to fall.

"Hey," a soft voice called. "Baby, it's okay."

Lainey's familiar arms wrapped around her and hugged tightly as if her arms alone could stop this nightmare they were having.

"I've got you, baby. It's okay, I'm here," Lainey promised. Her lips pressed against Eva's temple, but Eva continued to cry.

She shook her head and clutched Lainey's arms. "No, you're not. You won't be here forever. We were supposed to be forever. We were supposed to grow gray together and sit on that porch sipping wine forever. This was it for us, Lainey! This home was supposed to be just you and me. Who's going to be here to wake me up at a godforsaken hour for sunrise yoga or catch me when I'm doing that damn tree pose?"

A sad smile came across Lainey's lips as she shifted Eva in her arms. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and though it was their gesture, the move made Eva's lip quiver and a whimper escaped. Mascara ran down her face from the tears, and it hurt just having Lainey look at her like she was the only thing in this world.

Green eyes watered, making them shine like the ocean they had always longed to escape to. "You are so beautiful."

"Don't do that now, Lainey," Eva weeped. She tried to wipe her face, but Lainey held her back.

"I want to memorize this."

"Don't remember me like this."

"I'm remembering you as loving, kind, and the most compassionate human being I've ever met in my life." She brought Lainey's hands up to her lips and kissed them. "I know. I may not be there for you, but I swear if I could, then I would. There's nothing I want more in this world than you, and I-"

Tears choked Lainey just the same, and soon the two women were sprawled on the floor, crying into each other's necks. It was true that Lainey had more time to process, knowing full well that the odds of her getting Alzheimer's were a fifty percent chance, but suffering the news together - that took a toll on the two of them.

"I love you," Eva whimpered, clutching the back of Lainey's neck like a lifeline.

"I love you." Lainey pressed her lips against Eva's in a firm but watery kiss. "I promise you I'll fight this as long as I can. I don't want to be anywhere where you're not. You're it for me."

"You're it for me too," Eva promised.

Lainey nodded, fighting through the tears to muster up a small smile. She reached out to wipe at Eva's face once more, and this time she let her.

* * *

 **Eva's Home 2006**

Early mornings were always revered in the Morales household. The warm pink of the sky would crack just behind the ocean horizon, and the song of the birds singing melodiously would fill the otherwise quiet morning with a sense of serenity. It was a time where there was no one else in the world.

Eva, however, rarely witnessed these moments. A go-getter she may be, the woman barely functioned without at least two cups of coffee and needed the clock to reach the double digits. She was more a night owl than anything, so despite the serenity of the mornings, she opted for the comfort of her bed.

The banging on her door said otherwise.

Eva groaned and shoved her face further into her pillow, hoping that whatever solicitor was at her door would get the memo and know she wasn't interested in whatever they were selling. Still, the knocking continued then escalated to the constant trill of her doorbell.

She banged her pillow with a closed fist and brushed back the tangled mess of her glued to her face. "Someone better have a death wish," she muttered as she whipped the comforter off and stood.

Dressed in shorts and a tank, she stormed down her stairs and yanked open her front door, murder in her eyes.

"What?" She hissed.

"Well good morning to you too, sunshine." Lainey stood outside her door, a sheen of sweat glistening from her forehead. She wore a work out t-shirt and jogging pants, and she was so very awake. Her saving grace was the to-go mug of coffee in her hand.

Eva dropped her head against the door frame and shut her eyes. "What did you do? What fire do I need to put out?"

Lainey laughed. "Can't I just pop by for a visit?"

Eva brought her watch up to her face and nearly cried. "It's not even 5! The moon is still out!"

Lainey offered the coffee. "You asked how I look so good so I'm here to show you how."

Eva took the coffee and took a long gracious sip. "I was really looking more for tips or advice. Nothing hands on."

Lainey's eyes zeroed in on her rumpled form, and Eva felt less than attractive. She shifted from foot to foot and self-consciously brought an arm around her middle, but that didn't stop the look in Lainey's eyes.

"I kind of figured you would like the hands on approach," Lainey said casually. She took a step back and motioned to her car in the driveway. "But if you'd rather a tip, I can-"

Eva held her hand up and took a deeper gulp of her coffee. "I don't do runs."

"Already did it," Lainey laughed. "Go get some gym clothes on. I'll just wait in the kitchen."

"Okay. Just give me five minutes."

Five minutes turned out to be fifteen where Eva overthought what she should wear and if she should wear makeup. It wasn't like it was a date. Any respectable date would show up when the sun was in the sky and when Eva was properly caffeinated. But she supposed she could make an exception for Lainey. Foregoing the makeup, she donned a pair of leggings and a t-shirt she normally used for sleeping. She met Lainey in the kitchen where the actress had knowingly made her another cup of coffee.

She sipped it as they ventured out of her home. A moment of surprise caught her when Lainey bypassed her car and took a path towards the ocean. The actress threw a knowing smile before she urged Eva towards the beach with a gentle tug.

By the time they reached the sand, she had finished her coffee and frowned at Lainey's silhouette in the still dark morning as she walked towards the water.

"You said to wear gym clothes!" Eva called to Lainey's retreating form. "I'm not wearing a bathing suit!"

"I wouldn't mind skinny dipping with you, but we don't need bathing suits." Lainey slipped her sneakers and socks off before letting her toes dig into the sand. "Now come on!"

Eva shook her head, both amused and more than slightly confused by the morning's events. Following suit, she slipped off her shoes and hurried to catch up to Lainey.

The actress stopped just shy where the water pulled in by the tide. She took a deep breath and inhaled. In that moment, her silhouette relaxed as if being out this early was enough to bring life into her. Eva couldn't help but take in her beauty. Lainey never failed to mention how beautiful Eva was, but the feeling was mutual. Lainey was gorgeous.

Suddenly green eyes open and squinted self-consciously. "What?"

Eva rolled a shoulder. "The view is already making up for the early morning wake up."

Lainey turned towards the horizon where the deep blue of the sky was starting to crack pink. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Eva's eyes stayed locked on Lainey's form. She nodded. "Yeah it is."

Turning excitedly, Lainey clapped her hands and held Eva around the shoulders. "Ever done sunrise yoga?"

"I've barely done regular yoga."

"You'll love it," Lainey promised. She motioned to an area on the sand and smoothed it out for the two of them. "It really connects you to the earth."

"See here's the thing, I'm not all that flexible or have the greatest balance." A gust of wind swept Eva's hair up. When she tugged a strand away from her face, the hooded look on Lainey's face didn't go unnoticed.

"You'll do great."

It was relaxing, Eva had to admit as she mimicked Lainey's moves. Starting with sun salutation, they continued various yoga poses for ten minutes. Eva's struggle began with the upward and downward dogs - the sand loved getting into her mouth. Nothing was more embarrassing though then when she attempted crow. Her knees were barely on her elbows when she faceplanted into the sand. That made Lainey cackle in the early morning light. The way that her face lit up was worth the second of pain and embarrassment.

They were coming up from their swan dive pose when the pink crack of the horizon was glowing brighter and brighter with every passing minute. She almost forgot to focus on her balance for the warrior pose as the sunrise captivated her attention. Even more so, she loved the way Lainey's eyes closed and her chin tilted up as if accepting the glowing rays of the sun.

Watching Lainey made her lose her focus as they were starting to do the tree pose. Her left foot was wobbling in the sand, and her right refused to stay still on the inside of her thigh.

"Woah!" She stumbled onto the sand.

"I had trouble with this one too," Lainey offered and easily escaped her position to stand in front of Eva. She brought Eva's hands up to her shoulders to steady her. "Now lift your foot and place it on your thigh."

Carefully, Eva followed her advice, but it was difficult to do that with Lainey staring at her lips. She really should have put makeup on. She must look like a mess.

Lainey tucked that pesky strand of hair the wind kept catching and tucked it back behind her ear. "See, you're doing it."

"You're a good teacher."

"Or maybe I just like the excuse of holding you."

Eva bit her lip at Lainey's flirtatious comment, but it was her fingers stroking up and down Eva's arms that had her heart beating triple time. It was no Hollywood secret that Lainey Allen was a flirt; already Eva had to dispel a rumor or two. This time was different though. It wasn't just some playful comment that Lainey was quick to respond to. Her eyes told a different story as they searched Eva's. It was like Lainey was looking for something, confirmation that her feelings were reciprocated or just a sign that this wasn't one-sided. She must have found it as Eva blushed, her cheeks dimpling in a smile as she dropped her chin to look to the ground, because Lainey picked her chin back up between her fingers and made them eye level.

Eva's breath hitched. For a second, she thought Lainey was going to lean in for a kiss, and at this rate, she was going to let her. But then Lainey playfully rapped her cheek with her knuckles and shook her head as if amused with herself. "You know I love it when you do that."

Eva laughed and slowly brought her hands down from Lainey's shoulder and brought them to prayer. "Settle down, tiger. It's not like this is a date or anything."

Lainey shook her head with a grin. "I don't know. Beautiful woman on a beach at sunrise? Sounds like a perfect date to me."

"And there's your problem," Eva teased. "It's too damn early."

Lainey laughed out loud and resumed her own tree pose. "I like to seize the day, that's all."

"You can seize it after noon."

Lainey hummed and shut her eyes once more. Her hands moved from prayer to above her head as if praising the sky above her. Eva wasn't at that skill yet. She could barely keep her balance with her eyes open. At least from this spot, she could appreciate the muscle straining in Lainey's leg as it kept balance and the even rise and fall of her chest as she synchronized the breathing.

Eva should have learned from the first time that Lainey was proving to be a huge distraction. Watching her body work through the move, Eva lost her footing once more and windmilled towards the ground.

Before she made contact, strong arms wrapped around her waist and held her up. As soon as she was stable enough, the first thing she was met with was Lainey stifling a giggle.

"I suck at this," Eva muttered, trying to straighten herself but the incoming tide made it difficult to maneuver. All it did was make her stumble more.

Lainey shrugged it off and squeezed her arms. " _It's okay. I've got you_."


End file.
